Testi Wild Billy's Circus Story - Bruce Springsteen

Wild Billy's Circus Story

The machinist climbs his ferris wheel like a brave\nAnd the fire eater’s lyin' in a pool of sweat, victim of the heatwave\nBehind the tent the hired hand tightens his legs on the sword swallower’s blade\nAnd circus town’s on the shortwave\nThe runway lies ahead like a great false dawn\nFat lady, big mama, Missy Bimbo sits in her chair and yawns\nAnd the man-beast lies in his cage sniffin' popcorn\nAs the midget licks his fingers and suffers Missy Bimbo’s scorn\nCircus town’s been born\nWhoa, and a press roll drummer go, ballerina to and fro\nCartwheelin' up on that tightrope with a cannon blast lightin' flash\nMovin' fast through the tent Mars bent, he’s gonna miss his fall\nOh God save the human cannonball.\nAnd the flying Zambinis watch Margarita do her neck twist,\nAnd the ringmaster gets the crowd to count along: «Ninety-five, ninety-six,\nninety-seven»\nA ragged suitcase in his hand, he steals silently away from the circus grounds\nAnd the highway’s haunted by the carnival sounds\nThey dance like a great greasepaint ghost on the wind\nA man in baggy pants, a lonely face, a crazy grin\nRunnin' home to some small Ohio town\nJesus send some good women to save all your clowns\nAnd circus boy dances like a monkey on barbed wire\nAnd the barker romances with a junkie, she’s got a flat tire,\nAnd now the elephants dance real funky and the band plays like a jungle fire\nCircus town’s on the live wire\nAnd the strong man Sampson lifts the midget little Tiny Tim way up on his\nshoulders, way up\nAnd carries him on down the midway past the kids, past the sailors\nTo his dimly lit trailer\nAnd the ferris wheel turns and turns like it ain’t ever gonna stop\nAnd the circus boss leans over, whispers into the little boy’s ear «Hey son, you\nwant to try the big top?»\nAll aboard, Nebraska’s our next stop.